Tag Archives: support

In my more cynical moments as a parent, I remind my three boys that the handy American societal axiom of “the haves and have-nots” is too quaint, too weak. Replace that with “givers and takers,” I tell them, and you … Continue reading →

Running 26.2 miles provides plenty of lessons and revelations, but it’s often the unexpected that stand out. Here are four from Sunday in Columbus, Ohio — kindness, helplessness, desperation and yes, more kindness. Kindness After finishing the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon, … Continue reading →

It took three tries, but I finally came up with some words of sympathy for a family that lost a wife and mother to cancer at age 54. I hadn’t seen any of the family for a few years, as … Continue reading →

A bum heel and a bout of food poisoning put me on the shelf for one of my favorite running events, today’s Mountain Goat 10-miler in Syracuse, NY. After moping about this for a couple of weeks, I decided to … Continue reading →

The question “What’s in your wallet?” may conjure a popular television commercial for a credit card, but for my money there’s a better answer. My library card. It’s been in my wallet for so long, and has been used so often, … Continue reading →

There’s a remarkable young woman in our community who lost her dad while she was in middle school, then channeled her grief into a positive force for countless others who have lost loved ones. Rachael Ristau’s father, Michael, died of … Continue reading →